15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Another tumultuous week in the world of rock’n’roll is nearly at an end, and what have we learnt this time? Well, firstly that the world’s first faux-comedy-newsreader-versus-rock-star drum off is ON. Following Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith’s previous challenge, actor Will Ferrell has agreed to face the sticksman in a charity drum battle. Our money’s on Ron Burgundy.

Photo:PAAdded: 7 Oct 2013

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

They may have just picked up a Grammy, but Imagine Dragons are getting no prizes from Queens of the Stone Age rock god Josh Homme. Following Queens’ defeat in the Best Rock Performance category, Homme introduced ‘I Appear Missing’ during a Houston gig with the gracious rant, “Fuck everything. Fuck the man. Fuck Imagine Dragons and fuck the Grammys”. Sore loser, much?

Photo:Tom Oxley/NMEAdded: 19 Dec 2013

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Arctic Monkeys continued their transatlantic takeover, headlining their biggest ever US show at Madison Square Gardens in New York and serving up a brooding cover of The Beatles’ ‘All My Loving’ with old mate Miles Kane joining them on guitar. Nice to see that, even on the other side of the world, the lads still haven’t forgotten Blighty.

Photo:Daniel Topete/NMEAdded: 10 Feb 2014

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Meanwhile, in other Beatles-celebrating news, footage emerged of Dave Grohl covering the Fabs’ ‘Hey Bulldog’ as part of last month’s The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute To The Beatles tribute show. “I can honestly say if it weren't for The Beatles, I would not be a musician,” Grohl declared. A fitting tribute, indeed.

Photo:Getty ImagesAdded: 6 Feb 2014

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

One of the week’s more ridiculous stories, however, came courtesy of Kanye, who had a pair of his Red October trainers (part of the rapper’s Air Yeezy 2 collection for Nike) listed for £10 million on eBay by a particularly hopeful entrepreneur. The listing was later removed and the shoes are now selling for £5000. Which, let’s face it, still requires a fair amount of gold-digging in itself.

Photo:EbayAdded: 10 Feb 2014

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Not a rockstar but some pretty rockstar behaviour... Shia LaBeouf caused a stir this week when he turned up to the premiere of Lars Von Trier’s new film Nymphomaniac – in which he stars opposite regular Von Trier collaborator Charlotte Gainsbourg – wearing a paper bag on his head bearing the slogan ‘I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE’. A stunt which has, ironically, made LaBeouf more famous than ever.

Photo:GettyAdded: 10 Feb 2014

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Ever-pleasant Hole frontwoman Courtney Love isn’t particularly stoked about sharing a table with Dave Grohl when the pair attend the ceremony for Nirvana’s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame this April. As well as stating that sitting with Grohl would be “awkward”, she also added “I’m no hashtag Yoko”. Uncomfortable.

Photo:PressAdded: 18 Nov 2011

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Morrissey, meanwhile, provided potentially the week’s most unexpected surprise, announcing that his support acts for two major gigs in LA and Brooklyn would be veteran entertainers Cliff Richards and Tom Jones. Rumours of a collaborative ‘Sex Bomb’/ ‘Summer Holiday’/ ‘You’re The One For Me, Fatty’ mash-up are yet to be confirmed.

Photo:PAAdded: 4 Dec 2013

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Prince continued his impromptu Hit & Run tour of London with a last-minute gig at Shepherd’s Bush Empire, announcing the event at midday and pricing tickets at an admirably low £10. Fans who queued for up to seven hours were rewarded with a nearly 40-song strong setlist of hits, covers and new tracks. Next stop: Holloway Road Wetherspoons (maybe).

Photo:PressAdded: 5 Feb 2014

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Curly-haired pop pin-up Harry Styles has stated that One Direction are bigger than The Beatles, quickly clarifying the statement by confirming that he means in terms of fame rather than talent (well, we didn’t wanna say anything Harry, but…). But if One Direction are bigger than The Beatles, and The Beatles are bigger than Jesus, does that mean… no wait, forget it.

Photo:PAAdded: 28 Feb 2013

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Radiohead launched new, interactive app Polyfauna – “an experimental collaboration between us and Universal Everything, born out of ‘The King of Limbs’ sessions and using the imagery and sounds from the song ‘Bloom’.” And in the spirit of the band’s non-standard approach to releasing their wares, the app can be downloaded from radiohead.com for the grand old price of free.

Photo:PressAdded: 11 Feb 2014

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Thanks to massive records from the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Jake Bugg, rock has overtaken pop as the most popular album genre in the UK, with 40% of the 10,000 best-selling albums of 2013 classified as rock. News that we can all raise a devil-fingered salute in the face of Ed Sheeran to, indeed.

Photo:Getty ImagesAdded: 6 Feb 2014

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

70-year-old rock icon and defier of medical logic Keith Richards has become a grandfather for the fifth time. His daughter Angela Richards gave birth to a baby boy named Otto Reed, weighing 7lbs, 3oz. Sources suggest that Richards was actually hoping for a girl, but you can’t always get what you want.

Photo:PAAdded: 15 Apr 2013

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

In honour of the international day of smooching, Beyoncé has released a special set of underwear bearing the slogans ‘Yours’ and ‘Mine’ in the same font as her recent self-titled album cover. The sets are available in his and hers, hers and hers and his and his combinations, because Beyoncé is brilliant.

Photo:PressAdded: 7 Feb 2014

15 Things We Learned This Week (14/2/14)

Five fans of the late Michael Jackson have each been awarded the princely sum of €1 in damages from a French court for the emotional suffering caused by the singer’s death. That’s 0.00058 of a Euro for each distraught day so far – an adequate and consoling compensation, we’re sure you’ll agree.